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Starting to low carb

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10
Hi everyone,
I'm new to the site and am hoping to start low carbing to bring my bs levels down. The problem is that most of the books I have bought or flipped through, while extolling the virtues for preventing diabetes, all without exception in the first few pages state that the book is not suitable for diabetics to follow. Why is this? I'm wondering if it is to do with the fact that they all begin with a period of radically reducing your carbs to get a large weight loss and all state that this phase must be strictly adhered to otherwise the weightloss will slow down dramatically. I have a lot of weight to lose and the book I was choosing to follow says i might need to do this first phase for around six months. Maybe this wouldn't be suitable for diabetics, so Im wondering how everyone on here started off. i'm not sure if I should ignore this and start off gently so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hi Boosh!

Starting to low carb

New postby THE MIGHTY BOOSH on Tue Feb 17, 2009 2:34 pm
Hi everyone,
I'm new to the site and am hoping to start low carbing to bring my bs levels down. The problem is that most of the books I have bought or flipped through, while extolling the virtues for preventing diabetes, all without exception in the first few pages state that the book is not suitable for diabetics to follow. Why is this? I'm wondering if it is to do with the fact that they all begin with a period of radically reducing your carbs to get a large weight loss and all state that this phase must be strictly adhered to otherwise the weightloss will slow down dramatically. I have a lot of weight to lose and the book I was choosing to follow says i might need to do this first phase for around six months. Maybe this wouldn't be suitable for diabetics, so Im wondering how everyone on here started off. i'm not sure if I should ignore this and start off gently so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
You have hit on the BIG MYTH.
Until 30 years ago or so,All diabetics were put on a reduced carb diet.Then someone decided, completely without evidence that anyone following a low carb diet, would eat too much fat and be vulnerable to heart attacks. Since many diabetics do suffer heart disease, this wasn't properly investigated. ( it's actually a high carb diet which is dangerous.) It has become received wisdom and hence "Fact", that low carbing is bad for diabetics. Look at the success story thread and you'll find how wrong that is.
Good luck with low carbing. It really is the miraculously simple answer.
 
Welcome to the forum ,Boosh.
Keep it simple,get a carb counter book,such as Collins Gem carb or calorie counter,find all the things that you like and try and build from there.I don't know which book you have but you need to eat plenty of meats,cheese,nuts and vegetables .This is not just a diet,this is a change for life and if you are not happy with what you are eating then you will be unhappy and be tempted to stray!! :D Cutting out or reducing drastically the 'big five' bread,potatoes,pasta,rice and flour based products is a good way to start.
Do you have a blood testing meter.You should test before each meal then two hours after to see what effect that meal has had on your blood sugars,if the readings are about equal then you got that meal right.Keep a food diary for at least a week so that you can start to build a picture of what is good ,what needs changing etc.
 
This study is very similar to the Yudkin one I read on here recently. I was amazed to find that eating fat is encouraged and in such amounts! It's the total opposite of the advice most of us are given. I am planning to start in the next few days and hopefully will be able to report some positive results in the coming months. I've never been advised to test my blood but I think it would be useful and I will try that. I'll also try the food diary. Some great ideas there!
Thanks again!
 
Conventional wisdom states that FAT IS BAD!!! And, by process of elimination, everything else is good.

They were wrong. Fat is not bad. Carbs are bad. And carbs, when combined with fat, are deadly. (Literally).
 
Boosh
Yudkin was the leading scientist on diet at one time, then for some reason, his star dropped below the horizon
 
Welcome to the forum, BOOSH.

Yudkin wasn't alone in having his theories achive great success (Banting, Pennington, Atkins) until they met the immoveable object of the conventional medical wisdom, allied to the deep pockets of the food industry.

Warm regards to Milky Joe,

fergus
 
Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum, however I am convinced that the low carb diet is the way forward.
However, how on earth does one keep to 50 a day!
I would appreciate any advice reading material etc.

Thanks sherpa
 
Hi sherpa.
If youactually count carbs all the time,You'll get fed up and stop.
What works for me is just to avoid the obvious ones completely. Eating fats in cheeses, salad dressings, cream, fatty meats and fish, nuts all help stop hunger. It's more a Way of Eating than a diet and eventually, you just get used to it. I never did count carefully. However it might suit you to start that way. Or the simplified( only white food allowed is cauliflower) That one works too.
 
Hi again,
Just to say thanks to everyone who gave me some really useful advice and tips on my first post. Trinkwasser, the bloodsugar 101 was especially useful and has really given me the push I needed as I feel a lot more informed now.
Boosh
 
THE MIGHTY BOOSH said:
Hi again,
Just to say thanks to everyone who gave me some really useful advice and tips on my first post. Trinkwasser, the bloodsugar 101 was especially useful and has really given me the push I needed as I feel a lot more informed now.
Boosh

When you feel up to some blogs, this guy is not primarily concerned with diabetes but his dietary and exercise ideas are eminantly doable

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

To a degree we are canaries in the coalmine, genetic throwbacks who haven't adapted to modern life. We are designed to deal with famines but feasts kill us.
 
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